Farzi breakout star Bhuvan Arora says never received ‘this degree’ of love before: ‘Was locked for huge films that never happened’

“It is insane the amount of love people are pouring in. I am overwhelmed. I literally feel every person who is taking the time out to comment, to celebrate us, it is probably what an actor wants in his entire life — the adulation and love,” the Delhi-born actor tells indianexpress.com.

Bhuvan says with the acclaim coming his way for the eight-episode series, he feels like his years of hard work is “finally paying off.” The actor’s earliest film credits dates back to Shuddh Desi Romance in 2013. It was followed by work in films like Naam Shabana, Tevar, Bank Chor and the series Test Case.

But nothing prepared him for what it would mean to “breakout” the way Farzi did. “I have been a part of few projects before, gotten some love, but not to this degree. This time, it has just erupted, like a blast, and I can’t tell you how I am trying to keep myself calm.”

 

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Bhuvan Arora graduated from Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) more than a decade ago. When he eventually came to Mumbai for work, armored with all the lessons from the prestigious Pune institute, there was very little he could do. Bhuvan struggled for parts where he could channelise his FTII craft.

So, he was on a hunt to look for parts and projects to shine. While the journey was enjoyable, Bhuvan says it’s hard to ignore that he was also getting tired along the way. There were big films he was almost getting locked to star in, but they would slip away. There was disappointment, but he never “felt like giving up.”

“I would also never say that I was not disappointed. There were huge films… I still remember back in the day when I was new in Mumbai, there were huge films that I was almost locked for, but they eventually didn’t work out. So I won’t say that I wasn’t disheartened, but I wasn’t demotivated either. That kept me going.

“I am the person who believes in enjoying the journey, but you do get tired of walking. I know there is the philosophy that we should always enjoy the journey, never think about the destination, never aim for anything, as an actor you should be happy to perform. All of that is true, but with due respect, you do need validation from people. You need your friends to pat your back and say you did a good job. You need that from the audiences, your family and yourself.”

 

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After years of being under the radar, Bhuvan finally got a chance to bite into a meaty part and showcase the audience what he had in him with Farzi. Bhuvan says Farzi is a “very rare” opportunity that actors get.

“Farzi gave me that opportunity to showcase my craft. I studied as an actor in FTII ten years ago, but there were hardly in parts where I got to use the craft I learnt there. But Raj and DK gave me immense freedom to do what I wanted and that has paid off. The validation for me at least does matter. If you don’t get it, don’t be disappointed, but if you’re getting it, I would totally like to enjoy it.

“When I look back, for me it didn’t feel like that much of a struggle. We were 20 people who came together to Mumbai. If I was unemployed, so was my friend. We spent years through that unemployment and held each other. We would talk and have each other’s back. People who have that group, it’s a blessing. It keeps them going,” he adds.